Dumping bailer



June 22, 1943. R. M. DEMPSEY 2,322,425

DUMPI'NG BAILER Filed Aug. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H T TORNEY.

June 22, 1943. R. M.- DEMPSEY DUMPING BAILER Filed Aug. 12. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

'BYROBERT N. DEMPSEX HTTORNbY.

Patented June 22, 1943 UNITED STATES NT OFFICE DUMTING BAELER Robert M. Dempsey, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Shull Perforating 00., Inc., Long Beach, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application August 12, 1940, Serial No. 352,185

6 Claims.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel dumping bailer, which is provided with a novel means of releasing a closure to permit the release of the load of cement or the like within the bailer.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel dumping bailer in which the valve means is released by longitudinal movement of the'bailer within the well.

A feature of my invention resides in the novel means of holding the valve against its seat while the bailer is being moved into the well, and thereafter effectively releasing the valve so as to open the ports of the bailer to permit releasing of its load.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying into a proper annular seat, substantially as shown. A valve 8 is mounted in the bailer bottom 5, and normally rests against the seat 1 when the tool is being run into the well. A stem 9 depends from the valve 8, andthis stem is threaded as shown at II], the purpose of which will be further described.

Adjacent the lower end of the bailer bottom 5, I provide latch means comprising a pair of fingers ll--I I, the outer ends of which protrude slightly beyond the periphery of the bailer bot-' tom. These fingers extend horizontally into the bailer bottom and are slidable in and out, as will be further described. On the inner end of each drawings, the subjoined detailed description, and I the appended claims. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my bailer with parts broken away to show interior construction.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sec- 1 tional View of the lower part of the bailer, or the bailer bottom.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of my bailer with parts broken away to show interior construction.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view of the lower part'of my bailer, showing a modified valve structure.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the bailer l is mounted on the lower end of pipe or tubing 2. The pipe or tubing 2 screws into a collar 3 at the upper end of the bailer. The bailer l consists of a tubular housing 4 of considerable length, and is adapted to retain a quantity of material, such as cement. A bailer bottom 5 is mounted on the lower end of the body 4, or it may be integrally formed with the body, if desired. The bailer bottom 5 is provided with a plurality of outlet ports or openings 5, which extend through the side thereof. A valve seat I is provided immediately above the ports 6 and may consist of forming the bottom of the housin 4 running into the well.

of the fingers ll, there is provided a segmentally threaded block l3, which blocks engage the threads threads In to hold the valve 8 in raised position and seated against the seat 1 when the tool is running into the hole. A spring l5 bears against each of the blocks l3, to hold these threaded blocks inwardly against and into engagement with the threads It so that the valve 8 will be held in raised position against its seat'l.

When the bailer has reached the position in the well where the cement or other material is to be dumped, the blocks 13, are released or pushed outwardly awayfrom the threads IU of the stem 9, thus permitting the valve 8 to drop downwardly away fromits seat 1, and permitting the material to escape outwardly through the ports or openings 6. This is accomplished in the following manner:

A pair of spaced collars ll, l8 are slidably mounted on the housings. A plurality of spring arms I9 extend between these collars, and are fixedly attached thereto and frictionally engage the inner wall of the well casing, said frictional engagement being of such magnitude that the collars and spring arms are frictionally supported by the casing for freely slidable movement on the housing 4 against falling as the bailer housing is moved upwardly relative to the collars and spring arms to engage the lowermost .collar I8 with the fingers l I and move them away from the valve stem 9 to release the valve for opening movement. A plurality of spring clips 20 are attached to the upper collar I1, and these spring clips fit into an annular groove 2| in the collar 3, thus holding the collars l1, l8 and attached spring arms in raised position while the tool is This prevents the assembly mentioned from accidentally slipping downwardly along the housing 4, and tripping the bailer before it is desired.

When the point is reached in the casing where the work is to be done, the spring arms It being tightly pressed outwardly against the casing in frictional engagement therewith, an upward pull on the housing 4 will now release the clips 20, and the housing can be moved upwardly relative to the collars l1 and la. The lower collar 1 8 will then engage the protrudin ends of the fingers ll thus carnming these fingers inwardly against the tension of the springs l5, and this willmove the threaded blocks I3 away from the threads II! on the stem 9. The valve is now free to drop downwardly by gravity, which opens the bailer and permits the material to flow out through the ports 6. When the tool is being assembled on the surface, the stem 9 can be threaded upwardly until the Valve 8 is tightly seated against its seat 7, and thus eliminating the possibility of leakage while the tool is being run into the well.

In the modified form of bailer shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bailer housing, the method of securing the bailer to the pipe or tubing, the outlet ports or openings, as well as the spring arms and their mounting, are allidenticalto the structure previously described. The difierence resides in the valve in that in the modified form the valve seats downwardly instead of upwardly, as previously described. A valve 22 is provided with a depending valve stem 23. This valve stem is formed with threads 24, which are engaged by the threaded blocks [3 on fingers I l as previously described. The operation of these fingers in releasing the threaded blooks from the threads 24 is identical to that previously described.

A bailer bottom 25' screws onto the bottom of the housing 4, and is provided with a plurality of outlet openings or ports 26. The valve 22 seats downwardly on a seat 21, which is formed in the bottom of the housing 4 and'immediately above the openings 25. the stem 23 and presses upwardly against a collar 29 on the stem. The lower end of the spring rests against the bottom of the bailer bottom 25. A stop nut 30 may be provided on the bottom of' the" stem 23 forthe purpose of rotating this stemto seat'the valve 22, and also to serve as an emergency stop. When the lower collar 13 engages the'fingers ll, thus releasing the valve stem from its threaded engagement with the blocks 13, the spring 28 will press the valve stem 23' upwardly; thus-unseating the'valve 22 and permitting the. material in the bailer to pour out through the openings 26.

Having described my invention, I claiin:

1. A dumping bailer adapted to be inserted into a well casing comprising a tubular housing, a collar carried by-said housing and shiftable thereon, a plurality of spring arms extending from said collar and arranged to frictionally engage the casing, a valve seat in said housing, said housing having a port below and adjacent said seat, a valve initially engaging said seat having a depending stem, and latch means in said housing initially releasably engaging said valve stem to hold the valve in latched position against said seat, said collar being adapted to be held stationary by the frictional engagement of its spring arms with the casing while the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, said latch means being movably mounted in said housing and including portions normally extending into the path of movement of the collar whereby the latter, when the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, will engage and move the latch means away from said stem permitting unseating of the valve.

A spring 28 surrounds 2. A dumping bailer adapted to be inserted into a well casing comprising a tubular housing, a collar carried by said housing and shiftable thereon, a plurality of spring arms extending from said collar and arranged to frictionally engage the casing, a valve seat in said housing, said housing having a port below and adjacent said seat, a valve initially engaging said seat having a depending stem, yielding means normally urging said valve to unseat, and latch means in said housing initially releasably engaging said valve stem to hold the valve in latched position against said seat, said collar being adapted to be held stationary by the frictional engagement of its spring arms with the casing while the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, said latch means being movably mounted in said housing and including portions normally extending into the path of movement of the collar whereby the latter, when the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, will engage and move the latch means away from said stem permitting unseating of the valve.

3. A dumping bailer adapted to be inserted into awell casing comprising a tubular housing, a pair of collars carried by said housing andshiftable thereon, a plurality of spring arms connecting said collars and arranged to frictionally engage the casing, a valve seat insaid housing, said housing having a port below and adjacent said seat, a valve initially engaging said seat having a depending stem, and latch means in the housing initially releasably engaging said valve stem to hold the valve in latched position against said seat, said collars being adapted to be held stationary by the frictional engagement of their spring arms with the casing while the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, said latch means being movably mounted in said housing and including portions normally ex tending into the path of movement of one of the collars whereby the latter, when the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, will engage and move the latch means away from the stempermitting unseating of the valve.

4. A dumping bailer adapted to be inserted into a well casing comprising a tubular housing, a pair of collars carried by said housing and shiftable thereon, a plurality of spring arms connecting said collars and arranged to frictionally engage the casing, a valve seat insaid housing, said housing. having a port below and adjacent said seat, a valve initially engaging said seat having a depending stem, yieldingmeans normally urging said valve to unseat, and latch means in the housing initially releasably engaging said valve stem to hold the valve in latched position against said seat, said collars being adapted to be held stationary by the frictional engagement of their spring arms with the casing while the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, said latch means being movably mounted in said housing and including portions normally extending into the path of movement of one of the collars whereby the latter, when the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, will engage and move the latch means away from the stem permitting unseating of the valve.

5. A dumping bailer adapted t be inserted into a well casing comprising a tubular housing, a pair of collars carried by said housing and shiftable thereon, a plurality of sprin arms connecting said collars and arranged to frictionally engage the casing, releasable means on one of said collars adapted to engage said housing and retain said collars in raised position relative to said housing, as the bailer is being lowered in the casing, the magnitude of engagement of the spring arms and easing being such that an upward pull on said hOllSing will effect release of said releasable means to permit shifting of the collars on said housing, a valve seat in said housing, said housing having a port below and adjacent said seat, a valve initially engaging said seat having a depending stem, and latch means in the housing initially releasably engaging said valve stem to hold the valve in latched position against said seat, said collars being adapted to be held stationary by the frictional engagement of their spring arms with the casing while the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, said latch means being movably mounted in said housing and including portions normally extending into the path of movement of one of the collars whereby the latter, when the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto, will engage and move the latch means away from the stem permitting unseating of the valve.

6. A dumping bailer adapted to be inserted into a well casing comprising a tubular housing, a pair of collars carried by said housing and shiftable thereon, a. plurality of spring arms connecting said collars and arranged to frictionally engage the casing, a valve seat in said housing, said housing having a port below and adjacent said seat, a valve initially engaging said seat having a depending stem, threads on said stem, and latch means in the housing having complementary threaded portions engaging the threads on said stem whereby the valve may be rotated to-seated position and retained in such position, said latch means being movably mounted in said housing and including extensions normally projecting into the path of movement of one of said collars whereby the latter, when the housing is shifted upwardly relative thereto while the collars are held stationary by the frictional engagement of their spring arms with the casing, will engage the extensions and move the latch means to cause the threaded portions of the latch means to be disengaged from the stem permitting unseating of the valve.

ROBERT M. DE'MPSEY. 

